


Medicine

by mollyl13



Category: Lost Girl
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Valhalla
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 10:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 21,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4518528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mollyl13/pseuds/mollyl13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place between Kenzi's sacrifice and the final scene in 4x13. Lauren finds out what happened and tries to help Bo find a solution with the rest of the gang.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! I wrote this during the hiatus between Season 4 and 5. Hope you like it!

Bo sat in her car, staring at the dashboard. It was parked in front of the clubhouse but she had been sitting there, not moving, for about 30 minutes now. She felt like she couldn't do anything. It hurt to breathe. How was she supposed live without Kenzi? Bo swallowed hard and continued staring forward.

This was all her fault. So many things were her fault but this… she couldn't accept this. Bo's phone began to ring in her pocket but she remained still. Her hands gripped the steering wheel so tight her knuckles went white.

—

Lauren held her phone to her ear. She was standing outside her old apartment. She figured that after crossing Evony, it wouldn't be smart to go back to her Dark Fae apartment. She didn't belong to the Light anymore either. She belonged to… well, Bo. But she felt like maybe she always had.

"Come on, pick up…" Lauren said losing patience. She paces back and forth. Bo's voicemail picks up. Lauren sighs.

"Hey it's me. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Give me a call when you can…" Lauren wanted to say more but she wanted to see Bo face to face. Make sure she made it out out okay.

"Um…Bye." Lauren hung up her phone. She walked over to the door to her old place and gently turned the doorknob. She figured that since the Una Mens were no longer and the Morrigan couldn't melt her into a puddle, it was safe to at least go get some medical supplies she had left there. She figured it was possible that one of the gang might need some medical attention after the battle.

Still, Lauren found it strange that Bo didn't pick up her phone. Even through everything they've been through, it wasn't like her to not pick up. She honestly didn't care about anything else besides making sure she was okay right now.

Lauren walked into the dark apartment and pulled out a flashlight from her pocket. The electricity had been turned off once she had left. She walked over to her old desk and next to it was a black bag. She grabbed it and made her way out of the front door.

—

Lauren began walking to the clubhouse. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea but she was done being logical. She cared too much about Bo. She could deal with everything else once she made sure that the gang was okay.

She took out her cell phone again and dialed Bo again. It rang a few times and once again she got her voicemail. She hung up frustrated. She continued walking and saw the big yellow Camaro sitting in front of the club house.

'She must be home then' Lauren thought. Then why wouldn't she answer her phone? Lauren sighed. She began walking past the car when she noticed someone sitting in the front seat.

Bo.

Without thinking she ran over to the driver's side door. She knelt down to reach the window, which was down, and looked at Bo who was just staring straight ahead.

"Bo, are you okay?" Lauren asked, getting more and more concerned as Bo was unresponsive. She opened the car door and knelt down again.

"Bo, what is it?" Lauren put her palm to Bo's cheek.

"I…can't go in there." Bo says in a small voice, still not looking at Lauren.

"What? Why not? Is everyone okay?" Lauren asks trying to get Bo's attention.

"No." Bo's voice cracks.

Lauren looks around the car and realizes that Kenzi isn't with her. She's never seen Bo so in shock before… Lauren stomach drops.

Lauren puts her hand under Bo's chin and turn her head toward her.

"What happened?" Lauren asks trying to stay as calm as she can.

Bo looks at Lauren, saying nothing, but saying everything with her eyes. Was she gone? There's nothing Bo wouldn't do for Kenzi to protect her… so what the hell happened?

But Lauren could see it in the succubus' eyes, that she was. Gone. Somehow.

"Lauren, she…" Bo closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to keep her composure.

"Just talk to me." Lauren didn't want Bo to try to hide.

"The prophecy…to close the portal, there needed to be a sacrifice, and she…" Bo started to breakdown. She didn't really need to say anymore. Lauren gathered Bo into a hug, as tightly as she could. Bo started to sob, cradling herself into Lauren's neck. She had never ever seen her like this. She'd seen her upset, crying, angry, but this was true sorrow. Lauren began to cry too.

"I'm so sorry." Lauren just continued to hold Bo for a while.

"Lauren, I have to get her back" Bo says this into Lauren's shoulder but loud enough for her to hear clearly.

Lauren nods even though Bo can't see her. She wipes away a few strand tears from her own face.

"I can't go back in there. There's too much of her…" Bo says barely controlling her voice.

Lauren lets go of Bo just enough to see her face. She looked so exhausted. Just emotionally drained. She wished she could've taken Kenzi's place in that moment. To keep Bo from suffering like she now was. She'd just have to do anything she could to help her.

"I know you don't want to, but you should get some rest. For a little while anyway." She felt bad saying this but it was the only thing she knew to do. She couldn't really help her sitting in the car. But she knew what it felt like. When Nadia died, she kept being reminded of her by all the little things in her apartment that belonged to her. It made it worse. But what else could she do?

"I'll go with you." Bo looked at Lauren. She knew what Lauren meant but when she heard it, it meant more to her than just that. It meant she'll go with her through this. Whatever it was. It felt like the only thing keep her here. Keeping her breathing.

"I feel like I can't move." Bo said without pause.

Lauren nodded again. She stood up in front of the driver's side of the car and held her hand out to Bo. Bo slowly put her hand in Lauren's but still didn't move from her seat. Lauren pulled Bo's arm around her shoulder and place her own hand around Bo's waist and pulled her up from the car.

Bo wasn't kidding. She was barely standing on her own feet. Lauren would've carried her but she didn't think she'd make it very far. She'd just have to do her best.

Lauren started to walk slowly with Bo leaning on her. It was gonna take a while before they reached the door to the club house. Bo leaned her head down on Lauren's shoulder as they walked.

—

As they reached the front door to the club house, Bo tensed up. Lauren could feel it. She didn't want to go inside. And Lauren didn't want to make her. She thought about it for a moment.

"Close your eyes." Bo looked at Lauren for a moment and then closed her eyes. This felt so strange to Lauren. Not in a bad way, just strange. She hoped that she could give Bo whatever strength she had to make it better.

Lauren pushed open the door and guided Bo, who was still leaning on her, through the threshold. Lauren told herself just look straight ahead toward the stairs to Bo's bedroom and no where else. She didn't want to see any reminders either. She just wanted to take care of Bo.

They slowly make it up the stairs and into Bo's room. Lauren walks her over to the bed and gently guides her to sit down. She leans down and unzips Bo's boots and slides them off one at a time. Lauren thinks for a moment about what she should do.

She pulls off Bo's jacket and lays it onto a chair in the corner. She motions her to lie down and Bo does but she still seems in shock.

What to do next? Lauren looks at Bo lying in her bed. She doesn't look comfortable. In her own bed. She pauses in thought for a moment trying to figure out what to do. She pulls off her own shoes and slowly walks over to the other side of Bo's bed and slides over next to her.

Logical Lauren wouldn't do this but screw it. It doesn't matter. She thinks about the necklace again and looks down to see it hanging still from Bo's neck. She smiles for a second. She moves closer to Bo until they are touching along their sides. Both lying on their backs, Lauren takes her hand, reaching down, and finds Bo's, intertwining their fingers together.

Neither of them move from this position for a few minutes. Bo continues staring at the ceiling. Lauren knows there really isn't anything else she can say or do but be there. As a doctor though, she wants to fix this. Heal her. She felt useless in a way. She could turn a powerful fae into human but she can't get Kenzi back for Bo.

Thoughts of Kenzi started to finally creep into her mind now that she was laying there. She thought about how they didn't get along for so long, how they bickered. But it was only because they both cared for Bo. If she really thought about it, they could've been friends sooner if she would have seen sooner what Bo did. That she was loyal, and strong, and brave. Never gave up on what mattered.

She thought about the time when she taught her how to pick a lock. It was strange because it was one of the only times Bo wasn't there with them. She had gone over to the club house one day to see Bo and found Kenzi practicing on a pair of handcuffs and timing herself. Curious, she asked her about it and proceeded to watch her pick the lock in under a minute. Lauren figured she could do it too after watching Kenzi pull it off a few times, but as she attempted to, the clock kept ticking and she couldn't figure it out. Kenzi was elated that she had bested her. But after gloating for a moment, she proceeded to teach her how to do it step by step.

She was lost in thought as Bo put her other hand over their joined ones and pulled them to her chest. Bo leaned down and kissed the back of Lauren's hand. She held onto their clasped hands tight. Lauren looked over to her, still silent, just looking at her face.

She knew that Bo wouldn't give up on Kenzi. The same way Kenzi wouldn't give on Bo. Or her. Or Tamsin or Dyson. But honestly she wanted Kenzi back just as much as Bo did. Not even just to make Bo stop suffering, but because she was part of her family too.

"Bo…" Lauren placed her free hand to Bo's cheek to get her to look at her. But as soon as she turned her head, Lauren could see her features start to change. It hurt her heart to watch Bo cry like this, in so much pain. But she knew it was necessary if they were ever gonna get Kenzi back.

Bo moved closer to Lauren, half on top of her, and rested her head onto Lauren's shoulder. Lauren wrapped her hand around Bo's back while she continued to cry. She had tears streaming down her face now too. But she knew holding Bo in her arms, even if it didn't help her very much, was right where she was supposed to be. She kissed the top of Bo's head and started moving the hand on her back in small, slow circles.

She'd fight for Kenzi. They'd fight for Kenzi. Together.


	2. Chapter 2

Lauren woke with a weight on her chest. Bo. She opened her eyes to see Bo soundly asleep on top of her. She was glad to see her sleeping, at least for a little while. She wished she could freeze this moment. When Bo was at peace, temporarily anyway. She knew the reality that would come crashing back to her once she woke up.

Lauren honestly didn't know how much time Bo would need before they could start figuring how to get Kenzi back. She could see that it wasn't just the loss that was breaking Bo's heart, but guilt. It probably didn't matter what she told Bo, she would always see this as her fault.

She looked down at her again, watching her breath in and out. She had done this so many times when they were together but mostly because she always felt like she was on the cusp of losing Bo. Either to someone else or even in death. So she would try to hang on to the moments of watching her sleep when nothing was wrong and she was just hers. Only hers.

But that feeling was gone. Lauren finally felt safe. Like she didn't have to compete or prove anything to keep Bo. She didn't care anymore.

Bo's eyelids started to flutter, her nose crinkling up. She squeezed Lauren into a tighter embrace, her arms around her torso, and relaxes once again.

A small smile appears on Lauren's face. She felt sort of torn. She wanted to jump out of the bed and start coming up with a plan to get Kenzi and put a stop to all this… pain. But she also want to stay right where she was because it felt safe. And peaceful. Like home.

Lauren looked at her watch which read '5:30am'. The sun hadn't yet peered through the wooden slats outside Bo's window so she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

—

Bo opened her eyes, squinting at the sunlight coming into her room. It took her a moment to remember what was going on but she felt something rising and falling beneath her. She tilted her head up to see Lauren sleeping, breathing slowly. She returned to her head to it's position on Lauren's chest and she closed her eyes.

She liked feeling her head rise up and down as Lauren breathed. She felt like it was keeping her alive. The pain in her heart started to return now that she was awake. She felt so guilty. Not just for Kenzi. Looking at Lauren sleeping in her arms made her feel… well...more guilty. Because she felt happy and safe, like she never wanted to move from this spot. But she didn't deserve it. She felt guilty for all the pain that she caused her when they could've had this if she hadn't been as stubborn. If they had actually talked about everything.

She wanted to be in Lauren's arms but not under these circumstances. Not out of grief and sorrow. Out of love. Part of her felt afraid. The thought of screwing things up with their relationship again made what was left of her heart want to run away.

No.

It was her fault that she lost Kenzi. She would not lose Lauren again. The only way she was going to get Kenzi back from Valhalla was with clear mind. That meant doing whatever necessary to keep Lauren this time. It's what Kenzi would tell her to do.

She felt guilty even thinking about any of this with the situation at hand. But she couldn't continue to hurt the only other person who meant the world to her. Bo thought of Hale. She wished she could give him back to Kenzi. Maybe she would have been more reluctant to sacrifice herself if she still could've saved him.

Lauren rolled her neck to the side which broke Bo's thought. She looked up at Lauren, who eyes were squinting at the sunlight coming in, shining on her face. It made her look more beautiful. Bo reached her palm to Lauren's cheek, looking into her eyes.

"I need to tell you something before anything else happens today." Bo said softly. Lauren looked at her with some confusion.

"I'm sorry. For too many things…" Bo said looking down. She honestly didn't feel like she deserved to be forgiven but she couldn't run away anymore.

"Bo-"

"I just need to you know this before whatever happens next, that as guilty as I feel talking about this now with Kenzi gone-"

Bo's voice started to break. Lauren puts her hand over Bo's on her cheek.

"I can't… accept the thought of me ruining this again, hurting you-"

Bo took a deep breath to get more resolve.

"I'm yours. I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay that way." Bo said breaking in a small smile. Lauren nodded her head and smiled as well.

—

Lauren sat on a stool in the kitchen. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket. While Bo took a shower, she was to call Tamsin and Dyson, to start working on a plan. She honestly wasn't sure if this was a good idea. She imagined that both Tamsin and Dyson would be grieving as much as everyone else was and maybe it was too soon?

But Bo insisted. The longer they waited, the more painful the loss would be. Lauren let out a sigh and dialed Dyson's number.

"Hello?" Dyson answered with a strained voice. Lauren cleared her throat.

"Dyson it's Lauren. Do you think you and Tamsin could come to Bo's in an hour or two?"

She didn't hear a response for a moment. Maybe it really was too soon…

"Is she okay?" Dyson asked softly.

"No. But the sooner we get a plan going the sooner she will be." Lauren wished this wasn't the case but it was the truth.

"We'll be there in an hour." He hung up with a click. Lauren put her phone back in her pocket. She swiveled on the stool to look back toward the stairs to Bo's room.

—

Bo peeled off her shirt and pants, throwing them in the corner of the bathroom. She lowered her hair from her ponytail and removed everything else but her necklace.

Turning on the shower faucet, beads of water crashed down onto the porcelain tub, steam rising into Bo's face. She stuck a hand in the stream of water for a moment, then stepped into the tub.

She put her face into the hot water and sighed. The hot water stung her skin but it felt nice. Necessary. She reached down to grab a pink shampoo bottle, but it felt light in her hand. Bo looked at the bottle and written in permanent marker read 'BOBO, WE NEED MORE SHAMPOO!"

Bo traced the letter's of her best friends' nickname for her and swallowed.

She was tired of crying. It wasn't any use. It wouldn't bring her back. She just wanted to take action. But looking at this bottle she felt paralyzed.

—

Lauren looked at her watch. It had been 30 minutes since she had called Dyson and she could still hear the shower running. Lauren had made herself and Bo some breakfast with remnants of ingredients she had found in the kitchen but she started getting worried.

She figured Bo could use some time alone but she knew it didn't take her this long to take a shower. She didn't want to barge in there if Bo needed time to herself though. But Tamsin and Dyson would be here soon and she wanted to at least made sure Bo ate something.

Lauren started walking toward the stairs and stopped halfway. Was this a bad idea? I guess if she just tells her that the rest of the gang would be here soon, it wouldn't be so intrusive…

Lauren continued to walk to the stairs.

—

Lauren reached the bathroom door and knocked loud enough that Bo would hear it over the shower. Except Bo didn't say anything.

Lauren knocked one more time but again she got no response. Lauren gently turned the doorknob and pushed the door open a little.

Bo was sitting in the tub with the shower still on, her back to Lauren. She opened the door a little wider and took a step inside. Still no reaction from Bo.

Lauren wasn't really sure what to do. Clearly something was wrong but she didn't want push Bo if she didn't want to talk.

Lauren walked over to the tub, turned the faucet off and sat down on floor behind where Bo was sitting in the tub. Lauren put a hand on Bo's shoulder. Maybe it was better if she said nothing at all.

Bo continued staring in front of her even though she could feel Lauren behind her, outside the tub.

"I don't know if I can do this." Bo said in a small voice. Lauren squeezed her hand on Bo's shoulder.

"I won't give up on getting her back but what if that's not enough?"

Lauren didn't say anything for a moment but scooted closer behind Bo and wrapped both of her arms around Bo's shoulders.

"She left knowing you'd come back for her because she knows you can do it, Bo. Without a doubt." Lauren says leaning near Bo's ear.

"Believe her."

Bo nodded, taking in Lauren's words


	3. Chapter 3

Bo opened the door revealing Dyson and Tamsin. They looked horrible. She expected as much. She felt even worse just looking at Tamsin. Kenzi cared so much about her. And vice versa. At least she knew none of them would give up on getting Kenzi back.

"Hey." Dyson said putting a comforting hand on Bo's shoulder. They stepped into the clubhouse and walked over to the kitchen where Lauren sat at the counter with a cup of tea.

"Tamsin, have you ever brought someone with you to Vahalla that wasn't dead?" Bo stated in a cold voice. She couldn't waste time with pleasantries. She cared about them but she needed to move forward or else she risked falling apart.

Tamsin looked at Bo, surprised at her abruptness. "No. I mean I've heard stories-"

"Well I think I have an idea on how I can get there, or at least a start" Bo said cutting Tamsin off. Dyson looked at Bo for an answer.

"Dyson, do you know where that shapeshifter you gave the other hel shoe lives?"

"What?! Are you insane?" Tamsin said angered. Bo gave her an incredulous look.

"I don't even know where in Valhalla she is and you want to go there without any way of getting either of you back here?" Tamsin was getting more upset. Lauren stood up from the kitchen stool and walked over in between them.

"We can at least go get the shoe while figure everything out, right?" Lauren said in a calm voice.

"She lives in a cabin near Vic Forest" Dyson said in a horse voice. Bo nodded.

"Bo, we need to find another way to do this. Maybe I can find a way to bring you there-" Tamsin said looking at Dyson for support.

"I need to do something and the hel shoe is the only option we have right now." Bo said without hesitation. She grabbed the keys to the camaro from the table.

Tamsin shook her head and walked out the front door. Dyson followed her out into the hallway.

He put his arm on her shoulder turning her around to look at her face. She was crying now. He was torn on what to do but he didn't want them to split up. They stood a better chance getting Kenzi back together than apart.

"You know this is a mistake." Tamsin said to him, looking down at the floor.

"I at least need to find out where she is. I only bring the fallen to the gates of Vahalla, I don't have any idea where Kenzi is…" Dyson listened to Tamsin's words and he understood. But he also understood that Bo needed to do something, anything, that would get them a step closer.

"I understand but we don't have another choice right now-" She shook his arm off of her shoulder and turned away from him. Her wings spread from her shoulders and Tamsin faded away.

—

Lauren looked at the door as Dyson and Tamsin walked out. She wondered if they were going about this the right way. She knew little about Valkyries and even less about Valhalla and not knowing what they were walking into made her stomach churn. She looked at Bo who was shoving things into a small bag frantically. She could see she was getting frustrated. Bo stopped and looked at Lauren.

"Will you go with me to see this shapeshifter?" The way Bo said this, she could tell she felt like they weren't really backing her up. Not that she needed it necessarily because nothing would stop her getting back to Kenzi, but the room felt quite cold after their so-called meeting.

"Of course." Lauren wanted to make it clear that she was going to support Bo the best she could.

Bo grabbed her leather jacket and Lauren's as well, which was laying on the couch.

"Let's go." Bo said walking out the front door in a determined stride. Lauren followed behind her but not before grabbing a small dagger laying on the kitchen table.

—

Tamsin reappeared in front of a set of gates. The sky was otherworldly. It was quiet as the ground beneath her crunched as she walked forward. She pushed open the gates and the landscape in front of her changed to a large hall. Ceilings high as can be, and tables and tables full of people drinking.

Her wings retracted as she walked forward along the long tables. A few people noticed her and stopped their conversations as she walked past them. Tamsin continued walking until she reached a woman sitting in the front of the hall. Tamsin tapped the woman on the shoulder to get her attention.

"What the hell-" The woman turned around to Tamsin and then stood up to greet her.

"Acacia, I need your help." Acacia looked at Tamsin, seeing that something was wrong.

"What happened?" Acacia asked her.

"I need to find someone I just brought here. Is there a way to find a specific person?"

Acacia nodded and led Tamsin toward a small alcove. Acacia pulled a small piece of white cloth from her bag on her shoulder. She unfolded it.

"This will show you who you want to find if you drop some of your blood on it."

Tamsin nodded and pulled out a small knife from inside her jacket. She makes a small cut into the palm of her hand and holds her hand over the cloth. A few small red drops fall onto it, slowly forming into a giant map. But no indicators for a person.

"I don't understand, it's not showing anyone." Tamsin said in a concerned voice.

Acacia turned the cloth toward her to examine it. She scanned it back and forth and began to look puzzled.

"This makes no sense." Acacia continued to look at the cloth.

"Is there another way I can find her?"

Acacia folded the cloth back up and put it away. She grabbed Tamsin's arm and pulled her farther into the corner.

"You want to tell me what the hell you're trying to do? You did your job. You brought the charge here. That's it. Your done." Acacia looked Tamsin dead in the eyes. She looked right back at her.

"No, I'm not." Tamsin pushed Acacia out of the way and walked past her. Acacia ran back up to her after a moment.

"Look there's only one other way that might work. You have to go find Olaf. He's a king that rules under Odin." Acacia said in a low voice.

—

Tamsin and Acacia reached a small cottage not far from the Hall. Acacia pointed toward the entrance to the cottage giving Tamsin a little push forward.

"I can't guarantee he'll give you an answer but give it a shot."

Tamsin nodded and began walking forward.

"Thanks Acacia." Acacia turned and began walking away from the cottage.

Tamsin walked along the stone path leading to the cottage. The path had different ferns and flowers growing along the sides. Eventually reaching a wooden door, Tamsin pushed it open and stepped inside.

A man with a long beard sat in a throne in the center of the cottage looking straight ahead. There was nothing else inside but this throne he was sitting on and a staff in his right hand.

"I am King Olaf, liege to Odin and all in this realm. State your purpose." This King was even bigger than Bruce. Tamsin slowly walked to toward Olaf.

"I need assistance finding a soul I just brought here."

"What is your soul's name?" The king bellowed.

Tamsin felt her heart break hearing her call Kenzi her soul. That's how it felt with her gone. A big part of her felt missing.

"Kenzi."

Olaf closed his eyes for a moment. He banged the staff in his hand down three times and then stopped. His eyes shot open.

"Your charge is not here. She was taken by Freyja."

Tamsin swallowed, tears coming to her eyes, she turned around and ran out of the cottage.

—

Bo had been driving for at 30 minutes now and neither of them had said very much to one another. Lauren didn't really think there was anything to say. The farther they drove, the more worried she was getting about Bo.

"I think when we get back, I want to get my hands on whatever books Trick has on Valhalla." Lauren said, waiting for a response from Bo. It still hurt to watch her in this much pain.

"Sound like a good idea." Bo said plainly. Lauren looked forward again on the road they were on. This whole thing with hel shoe was putting her on edge. She wanted to make it clear to Bo that she wasn't going to let her go to Valhalla without her but she didn't know if she could test their relationship again. Bo would almost certainly object but she was done doing what other people told her to. Even Bo. If they were going to have a future, she needed to make that clear.

Bo pulled over near the woods and turned the car off. The cabin was in sight as they exited the car. They walked up to the front door and Bo knocked but after no response, she opened the door and walked inside. The lights were all off and they didn't see anyone in there. Bo turned toward the kitchen looking for any sign of where this shapeshifter could be. Lauren walked over to the the living room, and started sifting through some papers that were left on a coffee table.

Lauren heard a small squeak in the wooden floors, assuming it was Bo, she turned around to see another dark-haired woman slowly approaching Bo, who still had her back turned. Lauren grabbed the dagger from the strap on her ankle, and ran toward the woman, pushing her into the counter, holding the sharp blade to the woman's throat.

Bo turned around to see Lauren standing in front of her, holding a blade to some woman's throat. She hadn't seen this side of Lauren very often, and eventually she would have to ask Lauren more about her past but it made her smile to think that she was watching over her. Protecting her.

Lauren held the woman down on the counter, pushing the blade to her throat just enough so that she wouldn't actually cut her.

"Who the hell are you?" Lauren said in a threatening tone.

"I might ask you the same thing. Since you both broke into MY home." The woman said with a grin.

"We're looking for a shapeshifter-" Bo put her hand on Lauren's arm, signaling her that it was safe to let her go, with a comforting look.

Lauren let go of the woman and stepped back still holding onto to the dagger in her hand. The woman rubbed her neck and stood up.

"We're friends of Dyson and he gave you something that we need back." Bo said in a stern voice. She didn't want to waste time explaining, she just wanted the shoe. Now.

"And I'm just supposed to trust that you are who you say you are?" The woman said looking at the both of them.

"I don't really care if you believe me or not, but I'm not leaving here without the hel shoe." Bo said getting more and more angry. Lauren looked over to Bo, whose eyes were starting to turn blue.

Uh oh.

Bo stepped closer to the woman. "I don't have any time for your questions. Give me the hel shoe, now." Bo was starting to sway back and forth, losing control. Going darker. Lauren stepped closer to Bo, knowing this situation could go south any second now. Hopefully she could bring Bo out of it again.

"I'll hand it over if you come back here with Dyson but not until then-"

Bo closed the space between her and the woman. "You shall give the queen her property or kneel before her." Bo was losing what little control she had left. Lauren put her hand on Bo's shoulder trying to get her attention.

"Bo…"

A moment later blue chi began to flow from the woman's mouth as Bo lost control. Lauren stepped in front of Bo, not sure if this was a bad idea considering that Bo could easily kill her too, but she had to try. She had managed to snap her out of it before.

Her eyes still glowed blue as Bo looked at Lauren.

"If you have the hel shoe, you need to get it right now." Lauren said to the woman keeping her eyes on Bo.

The woman nodded and ran to another room toward the back of the cabin. Lauren put her right hand over Bo's chest, where her heart was, just slightly next to her necklace.

"Bo, listen to me, you need to come back to me. I know you can, sweetheart." Lauren moved her fingers over the cold metal pendant hanging around Bo's neck.

"Bo, remember me giving you this? I wanted to give it you as soon as I bought it, as a thank you mostly, but every time I see it hanging from your neck… it means more to me than that. "

Bo eyes started to flutter back to brown as she kept looking at Lauren.

"I finally feel like you're mine. Completely." Lauren felt a tear fall down her own cheek as she spoke.

"Something I thought I'd accept that I might never feel, but I do now." Lauren smiled. Bo grabbed onto Lauren's arms, leaning forward on to her.

"Lauren…" Bo eyes had returned back to normal. Lauren put her hand on Bo's cheek.

"It's okay." Lauren pulled Bo into a hug. Bo fell heavy in her arms.

"Is she okay, did I hurt anyone?" Bo said in a frantic voice.

"No, no, everyone is okay." Lauren said putting a reassuring hand on the back of Bo's head.

The woman returned to the kitchen with the golden shoe in one hand.

"Here." The woman placed the shoe on the counter and backed away from the pair. Bo grabbed the shoe but when she tried to walk she started wobbling. Lauren caught her arm which she wrapped around her waist, and helped her stand up straight.

Lauren turned toward the shapeshifter giving her a sympathetic look. "Thank you." Lauren said to the woman who nodded in return.

—

They kept walking through the woods back to car, Bo still leaning on Lauren for support, the hel shoe in her hand.

"Lauren I think something's wrong with me." Bo said in a quiet voice.

"It felt like I had almost no control back there, I mean if you weren't there-" Lauren stopped them walking for a moment to look at Bo's face. She knew that Bo being possessed like that was dangerous, not just to Bo, but to everyone. But she didn't want Bo to start thinking she was a monster again.

"But I was and you didn't hurt anyone. I can try to give you a different injection-"

"I… I don't think that's it. I didn't feel hungry in that cabin, It was like that time with the Lich, I just lost control when they threatened you-" Bo said, remembering how powerful she was.

Lauren thought about that moment again. She knew Bo hated feeling out of control like that. Darkness taking over her. The only way she knew how to get her out of it is by talking to her. But each time this had happened it was always because of Bo's emotional state.

"I think I know why you're feeling like that." Bo looked at Lauren confused for a moment and she realized what she meant by that.

"Kenzi."

Lauren nodded. Bo's eyes started to brim with tears. She let out a sigh. She had to keep moving, she didn't have to time to waste.

"We should get back to the clubhouse and find Dyson and Tamsin."

Lauren nodded and the pair continued walking back to the yellow Camaro.

—

Tamsin sat on the couch in the clubhouse. She held a big bottle of whisky in one hand. She took a swig, closing her eyes as it burned going down her throat. She threw the bottle across to Dyson who was standing against the wall in front of her. He caught the bottle and drank some as well.

Lauren and Bo came through the door, Bo now walking on her own. They were surprised to see Dyson and Tamsin already there. Tamsin turned to look at Bo and ran over to her to see the hel shoe in Bo's hand.

"Oh thank god you didn't use it." Tamsin said with relief.

Bo placed the shoe on the kitchen counter and looked toward the rest of the group.

"What did I miss?" Bo said looking at Dyson. Dyson looked over at Tamsin.

"I went back to Valhalla. To find out where she is specifically and… she's not." Bo looked at Tamsin with wide eyes.

"Not what?!"

"Not there. She is in Folksvangr." Tamsin said flatly.

"What?" Lauren and Bo said this simultaneously at Tamsin.

"There are two realms where fallen soldiers go to. Valhalla obviously, but the other one is Folkvangr. Certain warriors souls are selected by Freyja, who rules over the place, and they go there instead of Valhalla." Tamsin explained, grabbing the bottle of whisky from Dyson, taking another swig.

"Why did she take Kenzi?" Bo asked. She was getting more and more concerned. It was hard enough trying to get to Valhalla but now there was this other place that none of them knew anything about.

"From what I've heard, she take female warriors that she thinks are particularly special." Tamsin looks down at the floor. There was no doubt Kenzi was special.

"And valkyries can't go there?" Lauren asked.

Tamsin shook her head. "Not directly. I might be able to by going through Valhalla to get there but I can't just teleport there."

"Well at least I know where to go now." Bo said, slightly pleased with the new information but also terrified. She grabbed the shoe from the counter.

"Now I just need to find a way for me to use the hel shoe to send me to Folksvangr. Trick must have a book on-"

Lauren had to say it now before it was too late. She knew it probably wouldn't go over well but she didn't care anymore. She was done being told what to do, even if that meant pissing everyone off.

She turned to look at Bo and assured herself that she was doing the right thing.

"I'm not letting you go to Folksvangr alone."


	4. Chapter 4

Bo looked at Lauren. It took a moment for her words to sink in. She wanted to go there with her? She wanted and needed Lauren but she didn't want to put her in harms way. Hell, she had just gotten her away from Massimo.

"Lauren, you can't-" Bo started to say but not before Lauren cut her off with a shrill voice.

"Yes I can and I will."

Bo didn't expect this response from her. She could tell Lauren was serious about this but Bo would be the one responsible if anything happened to her. She couldn't risk that. Bo stepped closer to Lauren, looking into her eyes.

"No you can't." Bo didn't want to start a fight with her but she cared too much to let it go.

"God dammit, Bo! I've already decided this and it isn't up to you!" Bo was taken aback again since Lauren was yelling at her now. Clearly this was more complicated than it looked. She looked at Lauren who was getting more and more angry with her.

Lauren was breathing heavy after raising her voice. She didn't want to yell at Bo but she felt so fed up with being told what to do, like she couldn't make her own choice, that she felt like she was about to burst. Tamsin and Dyson shared a look of surprise with each other.

"Can I talk to you for a minute alone?" Bo asked as politely as she could, putting a hand on Lauren's sleeve, guiding her to her bedroom.

Lauren still felt upset, but she was certain she was not going to give in. She knew she was right. She followed Bo into the bedroom, still feeling a fire burning in her chest.

—

Bo shut the door to her room and turned to look back at Lauren. She could see how on edge she was, which was so… strange. She really had never seen her like this before. She didn't want to deal with this but if she was gonna keep Lauren, they were gonna have to talk this out.

"Why do you think you need to come with me?" Bo asked politely.

Lauren laughed a little to herself. "Did you honestly think I would let you go there by yourself Bo? I told you that everything I've done, everything I've been doing is for you. I'm not gonna throw it all away for you to go by yourself there, risking your life, without me. You would do the same for me if it the situation was reversed and me being human doesn't make things any different."

Bo sighed and looked down at her feet. She was right. She would. Without hesitation. It wasn't fair for her to tell her not go when she would never let Lauren keep her from going with her.

"Lauren… I understand. I do. Really. You have a right to that. I just can't let you get hurt by going with me-"

"Bo, don't you think I care if you get hurt? That's why I need to go with you. Because I feel the same way you do about me. I could get hurt or worse with you gone too. You need to trust that the best thing for me to do right now is to stay by your side. You can't make this decision for me."

Lauren walked closer to Bo. She felt a bit more calm considering that Bo was at least listening to her. She looked at Bo's neck and traced her index finger along the chain of her necklace, finally placing the pendant on her fingertips.

"I gave this to you because I want to belong not to you, but with you. And that means you can't try to protect me from everything."

Bo smiled at her words. If things were going to be different, she had to accept what Lauren was saying even though she didn't like it. She felt like it was her job to protect her. To protect everyone she cared about. But Lauren was right.

Bo started to speak but then stopped herself. Lauren caught this and realized Bo was probably censoring herself because she figured Lauren didn't want to hear whatever she wanted to say. She could see Bo was trying harder to make things better, even though she was going through a hard time herself, but it was going to be a process.

"What?" Lauren asked trying to get Bo to say whatever she was going to say a moment ago.

"It's just that every part of me wants to do just that. Protect you. I'm not saying that because I think you aren't strong Lauren. You're the strongest person I've ever met besides… her."

Bo held back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She needed to get this out. "You do belong with me. You always will. I just…" Bo looked at Lauren's brown eyes. Whatever anger she saw in them earlier was gone now. All she saw was kindness in them. Vulnerability. Which is what she owed back to her.

"I'm scared of losing you. And I run a lower chance of that happening if you aren't with me. I mean I just got my best friend killed-"

Lauren put her hand on Bo's arm. She could see Bo was trying to be honest with her.

"And she lost Hale because I couldn't save him-" Bo's voice started to strain and the tears that she was trying to hold back were now falling down her cheeks.

Lauren put both her arms around Bo's waist, pulling her close. "Bo, those things happened as a result of things that were beyond your control. That will never change. Which is why I need to go with you."

Bo just looked at Lauren for a moment and then nodded her head, understanding that Lauren was right. As usual. "But how are you going to go with me if we only have one hel shoe?" Bo asked.

Lauren leaned and kissed Bo slowly on the lips. She hadn't planned to but she was just happy that she got through to the stubborn succubus.

Bo savored the moment their lips met. She had missed her so much. Missed this. Their lips broke apart but they stayed in a close embrace.

"I'll just have to find a way." Lauren said smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Lauren walked behind Dyson to the entrance of the Dahl. Bo had told the group that they needed more information about Vahalla, Folkvangr, all of it really, and most recently a way for Lauren to join her. That last part was what worried Bo the most. She wasn't worried about getting back herself. If she didn't get Kenzi back… there was no other option. That was it. She would stay until she accomplished it. But she didn't want the same for Lauren. She knew that as screwed up things are… were between them, the love she felt for Lauren superseded all of it.

Dyson agreed to go with Lauren to find some books from Trick as he wanted to join Tamsin in Vahalla but didn't know how to either. Bo wondered if it would be easier if her and Tamsin went alone but that was just her fear talking. She just didn't want to cause anymore death.

They agreed that once they found a way for Dyson to go with Tamsin, that they would go to Vahalla first, and Bo and Lauren, somehow, would go to Folksvangr after, hopefully having the two pairs meet.

Lauren and Dyson volunteered to go to the Dahl while Bo and Tamsin went over what information Tamsin knew about Vahalla to start coming up with a plan.

Dyson peered into the glass window on the wooden door. No one appeared to be inside the Dahl, not even Trick. Dyson pushes open the door and the two of them walk in.

"Trick?" Dyson said looking for him behind the bar. Lauren looked around but saw no one. She walks to Trick's office that contains his small library and Trick still appears to be vacant. Dyson follows her inside and begins looking through a bookshelf.

"So what exactly are looking for again?" Dyson asked the doctor as he picks up a large leather bound book and begins flipping through the pages.

"Anything having to do with Vahalla, Folksvangr, the hel shoes, or some sort of way for us to get there." Lauren said grabbing a text off the top of a pile of books entitled 'Yggdrasil' which she knew was Scandinavian in origin. She began flipping through it.

Dyson continued flipping through various books but was coming up empty. Lauren continued reading the same text and began jotting down some notes on a piece of paper off of Trick's desk.

"I hope she got to see him again." Dyson said with his back to Lauren. She looked up from the book to look at him. She didn't quite know what he was talking about. Dyson turned around to her.

"Hale. Right before she… she said she was hoping for a chance to see him again." Dyson looked down solemnly. He still had a hard time believing that his friend, the siren was gone. He had never imagined saying goodbye since Fae were immortal but he hoped Kenzi found him somehow.

Lauren nodded, looking at Dyson. "I hope so too." She gave a weak smile to Dyson, trying to comfort the wolf who she now counted as a friend. Family even. There was a time when she hadn't. Not because she really had anything against Dyson particularly, but because of his animosity towards her and obviously the doubt he caused in her relationship with Bo. But she had let go of all that now. And he had too. They had become friends in last year in spite of the past and she respected him.

"You should see if there are any texts on shape shifters too, see if there are other accounts of them traveling to Valhalla alive." Lauren said trying to give him some encouragement.

"Thanks, Lauren." Dyson said with a small smile, turning around to return to a collection of books.

Lauren nodded and kept on reading. She turned to a chapter in the book called 'Helskor'. She remembered this to be the origin name for the hel shoes. She began reading it:

"While the true nature of the Helskor is to travel to Valhöll, there are several realms within the hall of the slain. One who wears the Helskor must initiate the intent of the realm they need to travel to with an object of value representing their desire."

Lauren wrote all of this down on her sheet of paper. She continued reading, trying to find anything that would give her a way to join Bo.

"The Helskor may only be worn by one unit."

Lauren read the sentence over and over.

One unit. What the hell does that mean? She assumed it meant one person but if it did wouldn't have said that explicitly and not 'one unit'? She continued reading:

"Using the object selected, the unit will be able to travel the realm intended."

Lauren closed the large book. She was going to have to keep searching. She looked toward Dyson who appeared to be reading something important. "I think I found what I was looking for Doc."

She walked over to him and he pointed to the middle of the page before reading aloud: "All shape shifters may travel between realms of the dead and living if only in their transformed state." Dyson smiled and looked up at Lauren.

"So as long as you stay as a wolf the whole time, you should be able to go with Tamsin." Lauren stated enthusiastically. Dyson nodded.

"Good. That's good." Lauren walked back to the books she had been looking through. "So far from what I've read, Bo should be able to reach Folksvangr with the hel shoe. She just needs object with the intention of where she wants to go. Probably something of Kenzi's. We still need to keep looking for anything else in relation to Valhalla." Lauren said to Dyson.

—

Lauren looked down at her watch and realized that another 20 minutes had passed of them searching through books. She sighed and grabbed one of the few remaining books from her pile. She still had not found a way to go with Bo to Folksvangr but she couldn't give up.

The book in her hand was entitled 'Ritus Fae'. She had been looking through every book she could find, even if it had nothing to do with Valhalla, for a solution. She began flipping though the contents when she glanced over a page entitled "Ritus Unire". Lauren knew a bit of Latin and she recognized the word 'Unire'. She went over the word in her mind for a moment. It was a verb from the latin stem… unit.

She quickly examined the page and began reading and writing. Her eyes grew wide as she continued reading. A small smile spread across her face and she closed the book, placing it under her arm to take with her. She quickly grabbed all the notes she had jotted down and walked over to Dyson.

"I think I've got everything I need from these books, did you find anything else?" Lauren asked him. Dyson shook his head.

"Nothing useful, sorry." Dyson said apologetically.

"We should probably head back then." Lauren stated walking towards the door back to the bar. Dyson placed the book in his hand back onto the bookcase and followed her out.

—

Bo looked at the door as it opened and Lauren and Dyson strolled into the clubhouse. Before she knew it she got up from the stool in the kitchen to walk over to them. She had started to worry. She was trying to focus on what Tamsin was telling her about Valhalla and what to expect there but she just kept waiting for the two of them to get back, hoping nothing went wrong.

Bo noticed that Lauren was carrying a big book under her arm and some pieces of paper which was a good sign that they had found something useful.

Dyson walked over to Tamsin who was still sitting in the kitchen. "Did you guys find anything?" Tamsin asked looking at Dyson.

The wolf took a seat next to the blond Valkyrie and smiled. "Well I found out that as long as I stay in my wolf form, I can travel with you to Valhalla without having to die first." Dyson said with relief.

Tamsin put a hand on his shoulder and smiled back at him. "Good cause I need my partner in this." Dyson laughed at Tamsin's remark.

Lauren walked over to the living room and placed the book and papers down on the coffee table. Bo looked into Lauren's eyes, grateful to meet them once again, and put her hand on the doctor's arm. She could see the cogs in Lauren's brain going around, obviously her thoughts consumed by something.

"Bo, I have to talk to you." Lauren said in a soft voice. Bo kept looking into her eyes and after a moment nodded slowly to her. Bo stepped next to Lauren and placed her hand on her back to guide her towards the bedroom to have some privacy to speak.


	6. Chapter 6

Bo shut the door to her bedroom and paused for a moment before turning back to the blonde doctor behind her. She felt nervous. She could see that whatever Lauren was about to tell her, she most likely wouldn't like. She took a deep breath and turned around to Lauren.

Lauren looked up from the floor to Bo's eyes. She was searching for something in them. Approval? No.

Assurance.

But Bo's eyes looked worried, not confident like they were normally.

"I think I found a way to go with you to Folksvangr." Lauren said with a small smile.

Bo nodded giving her a weak smile in return. Honestly, she still felt uncomfortable about having Lauren go with her but she knew she would have to accept that it wasn't her choice to make.

"There is a ritual that I found in one of Trick's books that would allow both of us to use the hel shoe together to get there…" Lauren said trailing off. This was going to be the tricky part. Getting Bo to commit to this.

"So what is it?" Bo asked moving a step closer to Lauren. Lauren cleared her throat and shifted her eyes from the floor to Bo again. She wished she was more confident especially because it was Bo and she normally felt comfortable with her, but potentially performing this ritual brought up a lot of her insecurities.

"The ritual is… binding. It would join us… in a manner of speaking… so that we could use the hel shoe as a single unit, as the shoe will only work if there is one-" Bo put a hand on Lauren's arm to interrupt her rambling.

"Slow down. What exactly do you mean by binding?" Bo asked in a small voice. Lauren looked at Bo's hand on arm and then to the brown eyes staring at her.

"Well the translation is a little spotty because it's in Scandinavian but from what I read… when it's performed, the souls of both subjects participating, join as one... into a unit, remaining that way until the day that one of the two dies. The shoe would recognize the unit as one soul but would really be taking two people—"

"Will it work with a fae and a human?" Bo asked interrupting Lauren again. She knew Lauren was rambling in her explanation to avoid just asking her to do the ritual.

"Yes but Bo—"

"I'll do it." Bo said looking into Lauren's eyes, nodding her head. She walked closer to her, closing the space between them until they were only a few inches away from each other. Bo reached up her hand and placed it over Lauren's chest, just over her heart.

Lauren smiled at Bo's sentiment but she still had more to say if they were going to go through with this. She put her hand over the one resting over her heart, although she wanted to keep it there for eternity, and took Bo's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together, bringing their hands down to her side.

"You do realize what I'm asking you to do right?" Lauren asked in the most polite manner she could muster. She didn't expect Bo to agree to this idea with any persuading.

Bo looked at Lauren with a shocked expression. Lauren had that same look on her face as she did when she realized Bo was wearing the necklace she had bought her. A mix of surprise and intrigue. She was fine with Lauren being intrigued, hell it was one of the things she loved about her, but she didn't want Lauren to be surprised each time something like this happened.

She wanted her to feel loved.

Always.

"I think we need to finally have that talk." Bo said giving Lauren's hand a small squeeze.


	7. Chapter 7

Lauren's stomach churned as she heard Bo's words. She was surprised that Bo was bringing this up now. While she did want to talk to her about everything, it would mean they had to rehash all of the crappy things that she was trying to put behind her. She looked at the succubus for a moment. Concentrating. She could see how earnest Bo was being even though she was still suffering in losing Kenzi.

That's what was surprising to her. That she wanted to talk… now. When she assumed Bo was totally consumed with getting her best friend back. Not that she wasn't, but she just didn't think the status of their relationship mattered that much to Bo right now.

"Okay. Where do you want to start?" Lauren said trying to swallow her words.

Bo could see the anxiousness on Lauren's face. This was going to be hard. Brutal even. But she knew that she wanted… needed to make this work.

Bo moved to sit on her bed still holding onto Lauren's hand tightly. Bo looked up at the doctor who stood in front of her. She didn't even know how to answer that question.

"I guess… the break. You were unhappy—"

"It was more than just that." Lauren said interrupting Bo. She grimaced for a moment, thinking about the look on Bo's face as she left her apartment that night.

Bo nodded and looked to Lauren for more explanation.

"I should've been more honest…said something. But I didn't and things got worse. That was my fault. But you started pushing me away Bo, just when I finally felt like you had let me in. I felt free getting to love you." Lauren started to tear up but her voice was stern. She didn't really want to play 'blame Bo' but if she was going to be honest, it was necessary.

"And I guess what finally broke me was you and Tamsin…" Bo looked at Lauren with confusion for a moment and then she realized.

Brazenwood. They had kissed. Bo felt a wave of nausea come over her.

"It still hurt that you had slept with Dyson again but I had accepted it. It was to heal and you were honest with me about it. But this…"

It wasn't to feed. And she never told Lauren about it. She was so wrapped up in preparing for the Dawning that she didn't think twice about it. Would saying sorry now even do anything to fix this? 'I'm sorry I neglected you when all you did was try to love me…' How would that make Lauren feel any better? Bo would have to show her… going forward. It dawned on her that trust had be rebuilt. Stray tears fell from Bo's eyes now.

"Lauren, I am so sorry. I know that saying that doesn't change anything and that it doesn't take away the pain I caused you but I don't know what else I can do but I want to change." More tears fall down Bo's cheek and her voice gets shaky. Bo leans forward, placing her head on Lauren's abdomen, wrapping her arms around Lauren's waist.

"I know I don't deserve you. I've known that from the moment we first kissed." Bo continued to cry as she spoke, burrowing her face in to Lauren's shirt.

"Bo-" Damnit, this was hard. She wanted Bo to take responsibility for her mistakes if they were going to get back together eventually but it still hurt to watch her cry.

"You keep telling me I'm not a monster Lauren, but how else can I explain all the things I've done. I chose what was easier than working at being a better girlfriend, multiple times and when you left with Taft, without a word… it broke my heart. But maybe it was what I deserved. I had it coming…" A sob escaped from Bo and Lauren shuddered at the sound. She put her hands on Bo's shoulders and rubbed them gently.

"Bo I didn't leave to get back at you or anything like that. I went because I felt needed there and I didn't elsewhere." Lauren said looking down. She could still hear Bo crying softly now.

"I had had it with working for the light fae and although it was a huge mistake, I thought I'd be useful working for Taft. I'd have freedom." Bo leaned back to look up at Lauren, her face now puffy and pink from crying.

"Afterwards, I tried to start over, run from my past with a new identity and then all my memories of you came flooding back at all once one day as they did with everyone else." Lauren said recalling how crazy it felt having those memories taken away and then given back to her again. The thought of forgetting all of Bo was frightening.

"You could've told me about Karen." Bo said, not because she was angry with Lauren for lying about it, but she wanted her to trust her with everything. Her past too. Even if it was bad.

"It's like what you said before. I had been running from my past for so long, keeping it buried was easier and safer for me." Lauren said pleadingly.

If anyone would understand running from your past, it was Bo. She had only stopped running from it recently. With Lauren's help, she had grown to understand her biology and was free the shame she long felt about it.

Lauren cleared her throat and closed her eyes for a moment. "I had a brother once and we wanted to change things. We wanted to take out pipelines and I knew how to build pipe bombs so my brother placed them in different locations that were supposed to be deserted but one of them wasn't. 11 people died because of a bomb that I built. I was an eco-terrorist. So I changed my name and kept running." Lauren took a breath as she had expelled all of that information out as fast she could so she couldn't change her mind.

Bo took a moment to absorb everything Lauren just said. She could the sting of guilt on Lauren's face. Keeping it to herself all this time. She knew how it felt to take people's lives. She carried that guilt for so long. But she was fae. Lauren was human and she had to deal with the weight of killing 11 people.

Lauren's face began to take a shade of pink and a few tears fell from her eyes. Bo stood up to meet Lauren, face to face. She raised her hand to Lauren's cheek and wiped away the few tears that remained.

"You are a different person than you were then, and the person that you are now, I absolutely love." Bo said the words that had stayed in her mind since the day she heard them from Lauren. She meant them.


	8. Chapter 8

Lauren smiled briefly. The meaning of Bo's words was not lost on her. She remembered them.

"That day at the Dark fae party, after Dyson went off looking for you, and I had just learned that I was dark for some reason... I was feeling pretty lost. But when I saw you walking toward me that day... across that field in the sun, I felt whole again. It just took one second of seeing you and I was so sure that things would be okay because you were back and you were safe. But then when you told me you were working for the Morrigan…" Bo paused. She understood why Lauren did what she did now but at the time she didn't.

"I lost sight of how much you needed your freedom. I just wanted you to be mine. Because while my actions don't always show it, I never stopped loving you Lo." Bo looked down as she said those last words. She felt silly saying them. Mostly because she hadn't given Lauren very many reasons to believe her and also because to Bo, it was so obvious.

Lauren swallowed. She really didn't know what to say. The last time Bo had told her that she loved her was right before she had called for a break. She never doubted what they had between them, it was maintaining it without hurting each other that was difficult.

Bo continued to look down at her feet. She could feel Lauren's eyes on her but she was silent as well. Was that bad? Suddenly she forgot why she thought it was such a great idea that they have this talk in the first place. She didn't want to make things worse. Which is what she usually did when tried to talk honestly. That's what she was trying to do. Be honest.

"I know that Bo. I don't always believe it but I always know it… somehow." Bo looked up to face Lauren after she spoke. Was that all she could give to Lauren? She wanted her to believe it all the time. Because it was true.

"I just don't understand why you chose Rainer over all of us, shutting us out…" She didn't want to bring Rainer up but she was honestly still confused about everything concerning him. She remembered the pain she had shared with Dyson and Kenzi when Bo ran off with him, shutting the rest of them out when all they wanted was to understand what was happening.

"There was no way for you guys to understand—"

"You didn't give us the chance to! You just showed up with Rainer and told us he was your destiny…" Lauren didn't intend to raise her voice again at Bo but it just sort of happened. She felt frustrated by the whole situation.

"Because it was easier! All he wanted from me was to help him get off of that train and get rid of the line between dark and light fae… there was no chance of me letting him down. I could actually give someone what they needed for once…" Bo let out a sigh.

That feeling that everything would be okay fell away when Lauren told her she was staying with the dark. She had screwed things up with pretty much everyone she cared about… She couldn't even think about everything that went wrong with Kenzi without wanting to die where she stood so didn't let her mind go there.

"Bo, you're not perfect. You never will be. Neither am I, or Dyson, or Kenzi, or anyone in the whole entire world. You can't make up for your mistakes unless you face them. Believe me, I know." Lauren laughs to herself for moment. She looks at Bo who still has a look of pain on her face.

"Listen to me, Kenzi loves you for who you are…" Bo lets out a sob upon hearing Lauren's words.

"Don't…" Bo said pleadingly. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't deserve to hear it.

Lauren put her hands on Bo's cheeks to force her look into her eyes. Her cheeks felt warm under her palms as she wiped away a few tears with her thumb.

"She does. All you have to be is the person that she loves. The person that I—" Lauren heard Bo start to cry uncontrollably now, letting go of whatever resolve she had left to keep herself from crying. Lauren pulled her into a hug and felt Bo's sobs wracking through her body against hers. They slowly fell down toward the floor, Lauren still holding her as tightly to her chest as she could. She felt her own eyes begin to trickle with tears.

"I am so sorry…" Bo cried out to Lauren in between sobs. Bo hugged Lauren body tighter.

Lauren continued to hold her, rubbing her back, tears flowing freely from her own eyes now. "Me too." She said hoping Bo heard her over all the crying. Because she was. She had hurt Bo too.

After a few minutes, Lauren could tell Bo's breathing had become more shallow and calm. She could still feel her tears soaking her shirt but she wasn't sobbing anymore. She gently separated herself just so she could look at Bo's face. Lauren reached the palm of her hand back to Bo's cheek and she felt Bo lean into her touch. Lauren leaned forward and slowly pressed her lips to Bo's. Softly and gently Bo responded, caressing her lips against the doctor's. She placed her hand on Lauren's cheek, pulling her body somehow closer than she already was. Feeling her lips moving against hers, Bo felt her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. Their lips broke apart and she still felt it.

Completely breathless.

"I love you. I want you to know that every single day of your life." Bo said sniffling. She leaned her forehead against Lauren's. She was starting to get drowsy but she didn't want to stop looking at the brown eyes staring back at her.

Lauren smiled and kissed Bo quickly on the tip of her nose. "Ditto." She said staring into Bo's eyes which were starting to close but she could see Bo was straining to keep them open. Lauren put her arms around Bo's waist and stood up, bringing Bo up with her. She was exhausted too.

Bo sat down on her bed and pushed her covers over slightly. She placed her hand in Lauren's and moved over, sliding under her blanket, pulling Lauren down onto the bed next to her. She lifts the blanket up and continues to pull Lauren farther into the bed.

Once Lauren stretches her legs onto the bed, she feels Bo place the blanket back down on her and curls into her side, wrapping her arms around her, closing her eyes. Lauren leans down and kisses the top of Bo's head and snuggles her body closer and after a moment her eyes drift closed too.


	9. Chapter 9

Bo was awake but relaxing with her eyes closed. Her head was rested on Lauren's chest and she was just listening to heart beat over and over as Lauren was still sleeping.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It seemed like the heartbeat she was listening to was growing louder. Bo opened her eyes slightly, squinting at the streams of sunlight now pouring into her room. She looked down at the face beneath her and Lauren was still peacefully asleep. Bo smiled.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Turns out the loud noise she was starting to hear was someone knocking on Bo's door ungodly loud. Lauren jolted awake upon hearing the noise. Bo put her hand on Lauren's cheek.

"It's okay, go back to sleep. I'll go." Bo kissed Lauren on the forehead before getting up off her bed. Lauren smiled and turned onto her side, closing her eyes again.

—

Bo gently closed the door to her room and then walked straight to the source of noise booming through her apartment.

Bo opened her front door just as Dyson was continuing to knock. He walked in past Bo, carrying a stack of large books, and placed them down on the kitchen counter with heavy thud.

"Shh!" Bo said pointing a finger up to her room.

Dyson nodded and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. I managed to find Trick and he let me take all the books I could carry about anything to do with Valhalla. I figure we can take some specific pages with us that will be the most helpful in navigating our way around down there."

Bo nodded and sat down on a stool in front of the pile of books.

"Trick said he would come by in a few hours. Try to help out if he can. Tamsin and I plan to leave tonight, since time moves slower down there, if you guys leave tomorrow morning, we should find you in Folksvangr by then."

Bo didn't say anything. Her mind was swimming with thought. They would have to do the ritual today and leave tomorrow morning.

"Did Lauren tell you about the ritual we need to use in order to get to Folksvangr together?" Bo asked quietly.

"Not specifics. She just said that she had found a way for two people to use the hel shoe together. Why? Is it dangerous?" Dyson said moving closer to Bo. They were already facing a lot of potential disasters with this plan and he didn't want any more thrown into the mix.

"Not to my knowledge. It's basically a type of binding ritual. Basically it tricks the hel shoe into thinking it's taking one soul rather than two. But it's kind of a permanent thing…" Bo trailed off. This was her way of letting Dyson down now rather than later. She didn't want to hurt him but he had to know what was going to happen.

Dyson looked down toward his feet and nodded. "I understand Bo. It's okay." He looked up at her and gave a genuine smile.

He knew what she had inadvertently told him at the Dahl weeks ago was true. She wasn't in love with him anymore. And it was okay. That piece of their lives was over. He wanted her to be happy.

"Anything I can do to help… just let me know." Dyson placed a comforting hand on Bo's shoulder.

Bo felt a hot tear fall from her eye. She understood what he meant. It wasn't about the ritual. He was saying that it was okay. She didn't have to try to protect him from getting his feelings hurt anymore. He was giving her support.

"Thank you, Dyson." Bo said softly.

—

A few hours had passed and now Lauren, Dyson, Bo and Tamsin were sprawled out in Bo's living room going through the series of books Dyson had brought by. Papers were laying in different piles with several different colored post it notes that Lauren kept labeling them all with.

Bo got up from her spot on the floor and walked towards the door as she heard a knock. She opened it to reveal her grandfather standing there with a smile on his face. She leaned down and gave him a hug as enter through the doorway.

"Thank you for coming." Bo said letting go of Trick. The two of them walked toward the kitchen as the rest of the group continued working.

"Of course." Trick said with a smile. "I hope those books will be of some help to you…"

"Yes. They definitely will. I actually had another thing I was hoping you could help me with-"

"What is it?" Trick asked Bo with sincerity.

"Well I'm going to use the hel shoe we have left to get to Folksvangr, but I need to perform binding ritual first with Lauren so that we can both use—"

"What's the name of the ritual?" Trick asked impatiently. Bo shifted her stance and looked over at Lauren and then back to her grandfather.

"Lauren said it was called Ritus Unire—"

Trick looked down at his feet. His face looked full of worry and concern.

"Bo, you can't. It will bind the two you together forever and Lauren isn't fae…—"

"So?" Bo was starting to feel angry as she expected Trick to support her on this. Instead she's getting the same lecture she'd heard time and time again. Lauren's human. She's not fae. Bo was tired of it.

"So those rituals are meant to be performed between two fae entities…" Trick argued.

Lauren turned her head to look over at Bo as she heard Trick's voice start to get louder. Bo seemed like she was getting frustrated by their conversation but she figured it was none of her business.

"I already told you, I can't go unless she goes with me and I need your help to perform the ritual!" Bo was now raising her own voice. She started to feel herself swaying from side to side. Focused on Trick's face. She could feel rage building up inside her.

"You would be posing great risks for both of you by doing this Bo!" Trick was yelling now. As he was looking at Bo's face, he noticed that his granddaughter's eyes started to flicker from brown to blue.

Bo swallowed. Uh oh. She could feel herself starting to lose control again but it was like she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Don't get in my way." Bo said coldly as she moved closer to Trick. Her eyes were now fully engulfed in blue.

Dyson popped his head over the couch and noticed the exchange going on in the kitchen. As he stood up, so did Lauren and she turned around to look at Bo.

It took about all of one second for her to understand what was happening. She walked quickly over to Bo who couldn't break her eye contact with Trick. She was swaying from side to side. Dyson and Tamsin came behind Trick and started trying to pull him away. As soon as Trick took one step back, Bo picked up one of the kitchen stools with one hand and threw it, hitting into the wall and snapping into several pieces.

Lauren flinched as the chair broke on the floor. She walked closer to Bo and tried to step slightly into her line of vision.

"Bo, can you hear me?" Lauren searched in Bo's eyes which were completely blue. She kicked herself for not warning the others that Bo was more sensitive to being consumed with her power with Kenzi gone.

Lauren very slowly placed her hand on the small pendant still hanging from Bo's necklace. "Bo, listen to me, everything is okay. You're going to get Kenzi back."

"Lauren…" Bo's voice was on the verge of tears as she said her name, but her eyes were still cold and concentrated solely on Trick.

"I can't fight it…" Bo said still looking straight at Trick.

"Yes you can Bo. Just look at me, okay?" Lauren started to slowly wedge herself in between Bo and Trick. Bo still seemed concentrated on killing Trick so Lauren was just going to have to keep trying.

Bo let out a loud growl at Lauren as she stepped farther in front of Trick. The last time Bo changed like this at the cabin wasn't as severe. She was looking more and more feral.

Lauren swallowed. "Bo, this is not you. Just come back…" Lauren tentatively moved her hand forward and placed it over Bo's heart. Dyson took a small step forward, waiting impatiently for a reaction. Bo stayed as she was, she didn't seem to be affected by Lauren's gesture but she wasn't reacting negatively to it.

"Lauren…" Bo's voice was wavering but Lauren noticed that her eyes started flickering back and forth between brown and blue again. Lauren kept her hand still placed on Bo's chest, hoping that the tactile gesture was having the effect she hoped it would, but after a moment Bo fell forward, closing her eyes, right into Lauren's body.

Lauren gathered Bo in her arms, who appeared to be in a now unconscious state. Dyson ran over to Bo's side, with Tamsin following behind him.

"Is she okay?" Dyson asked grabbing Bo's hand. Lauren cradled Bo's head in her lap and placed two of her fingers over Bo's pulse near her jugular. She felt a strong steady beat. Thank god.

"Her pulse is strong. I need one of you to go to my apartment. I still have some left over injections of Bo's and I can mix with them few supplies I brought with me here to help her." Lauren said directed to Tamsin and Dyson.

"I'll go." Dyson said already halfway to the front door. "I'll be back as fast as I can." He said before leaving and closing the door behind him.

"Tamsin can you help me carry her to her bed?" Lauren asked but before she looked up at her, Tamsin had gathered Bo in her arms and began walking toward the stairs.

Lauren stood up and turned to Trick. "How long has that been happening?" Trick asked Lauren exasperated.

"It's because of Kenzi. I've only seen her react that way one other time since… but this was more severe. Trick, I know you mean well but I need to know if you will do the ritual or not because if not, you should probably leave for your own sake." Lauren said with concern. She didn't really need Trick's approval to do the ritual but she did need someone to do it who knew what the hell they were doing.

"Lauren I don't what consequences this ritual will bring. Don't you think it's a cause for concern that a human binding with a fae could have any number of unknown outcomes?" Trick asked.

"Sure it does. But it doesn't matter. This is the best plan we have if we ever hope to get Kenzi back and it's worth whatever those risks are." Lauren said plainly.

Trick looked at the doctor and let out a sigh. "Fine. Are you sure she is stable enough for this ritual?"

Lauren looked back towards Bo's room and then back to her feet. "We just need to get Kenzi back."

—

Bo slowly opened her eyes to see Tamsin leaning over her. She looked down and saw that she was lying in her own bed, under her covers. She started to sit up but was hit with a wave of dizziness, sending her head back onto her pillow.

"Take it easy, Bo." Tamsin said with a serious tone. She was sitting on the edge of Bo's bed, trying to pull the blankets further on top of Bo's body.

"Tamsin, what happened?" Bo asked in a groggy voice. She closed her eyes and tried to think back to her last memory. All she could think of was talking to Trick…

"You just went a little supersuccubus on your granddaddy, but he's okay. No one got hurt—"

Bo tried opening her eyes again but when she did everything was spinning so she stuck with keeping them closed for the time being.

"Are you sure I didn't hurt anyone, you're telling me the truth?" Bo asked stopping and starting after each word she spoke.

Tamsin smiled. She thought about her perception of Bo when she had first started working with Dyson as her partner. She assumed Bo, along with any other succubus' she had ever met, had little regard for taking life. Especially when she was convinced that Bo had been leaving a trail of dark fae bodies all over town but now, after getting to know her… she couldn't have been more wrong.

"No you didn't. I swear." Tamsin said trying to reassure Bo.

Bo let out a groan. "Where Lauren?" Bo asked, her face grimacing in pain.

"She's downstairs, she's getting together something that should make you feel better." Tamsin said, awkwardly patting Bo on the shoulder.

"You and Dyson need to leave soon…" Bo said muttering out loud. Tamsin hesitantly picked up Bo's hand and held it in her own.

"We have a few hours, besides we need to fix up your sorry ass before we leave or else our plan will be hopeless." Tamsin said with a smile. Bo gave a weak laugh at Tamsin's insult but still kept her eyes closed. Tamsin let go of Bo's hand and stood up from the bed.

"I'm gonna go see where your doc is at on the medicine front. I'll be right back." Tamsin said but Bo gave no response, she just continued to groan in pain. Tamsin quietly stepped out of Bo's room.

—

"Where's Trick?" Tamsin asked as she walked into the kitchen where Lauren was muddling some sort of herbs into a wooden bowl.

"He went to get some supplies for the ritual. Do you think you can crush the rest of these while I go check her vitals?" Lauren asked handing over the wooden bowl to Tamsin.

"Sure. What the hell is this stuff anyway?" Tamsin asked, smelling the contents of the bowl.

Lauren grabbed her medical kit from the living room. "It's some herbs that will help when added to her injection." Lauren said as she headed toward the stairs.

—

Lauren turned the knob to Bo's room and stepped inside. Bo was laying on her bed, eyes closed, breathing softly in and out. Lauren was fairly certain she was lucid since her eyes were not rapidly moving, so she walked over to the bed.

She sat down on the edge, facing Bo and placed her hand on Bo's forehead. She didn't feel warm which was good but she did feel a bit clammy.

"Lauren?" Bo asked in a small voice. She opened her eyes for a moment and gave a weak smile.

"How did you know it was me?" Lauren asked putting her palm against Bo's cheek.

"You're the only person I know who would be checking to see if I have a fever." Bo said with a small smile.

Lauren pushed a loose strand of hair behind Bo's ear. She hoped Dyson was already on his way back by now.

"How are you feeling honey?" Lauren asked sweetly.

Bo groaned and shook her head. "Dizzy. Like I'm on a carousel…"

Lauren took one of Bo's hand into both of her own and brought it to her chest. She wished she could do more for her right now.

"Lauren, what's wrong with me?" Bo asked squeezing her hand gently into Lauren's.

"As far as I can tell… I think your dark succubus state manifested itself same as it has before, it's just more severe because it's being dictated by grief... because it's Kenzi. I have one of your old injections on it's way now along with a few other medicinal herbs which should help you get back to normal." Lauren said with a smile.

"I'm just…" Bo paused. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. It was probably better for her to put her foot in her mouth.

"What?" Lauren asked leaning down closer to Bo. "You can tell me." Lauren brushed her hand gently over Bo's forehead.

"I'm scared. When we do the ritual, I don't want to hurt you—"

"Bo, you're not gonna hurt me. You never have when you've gone dark like that before. And if you can't trust yourself then trust me. I'm a doctor." Lauren said with a smirk on her face. She heard a small chuckle escape from Bo as Lauren leaned farther down and placed two fingers on Bo's right temple. She traced slow circles with her fingers with the hope of alleviating some of the dizziness.

Bo let out a moan of relief as Lauren continued to rub her temple. Some of the tension she was feeling from the headache and dizziness was dissipating under Lauren's touch.

"I don't know what you're doing but please don't stop…" Bo said with a smile. She gave Lauren's hand that was still holding hers another squeeze.

"Well massaging the temple which contains the superficial temporary artery helps alleviate both dizziness and pain associated with headaches." Lauren felt better spouting off knowledge with confidence than trying to reassure Bo about the ritual. She didn't have any answers about it either but taking care of this succubus was something she at least knew how to do.

Lauren's train of though broke as Tamsin poked her into the door to Bo's room. "Dyson's back." Tamsin said waiting for instructions in the doorway.

"Good. Bo, I'll be right back okay? Just try to relax." Lauren stood up and let go of Bo's hand, placing it gently back down on the bed. She bent down a gave Bo a kiss on the cheek and then exited the room.

—

Lauren walked quickly back to the kitchen where Dyson and Tamsin were standing. Dyson looked up as soon as he heard her footsteps approaching. "How is she?" He asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Lauren walked over to the counter and picked up the silver syringe filled with a blueish liquid Dyson had left there. She held it up to the lamp next to her, examining it.

"She should be fine once I give her this. She's just a bit wiped out." Lauren grabbed her black bag and retrieved an alcohol swab packet which she placed down on the counter, and a small glass test tube. She removed the black topper from the tube and began injecting the liquid from the syringe into it.

"Tamsin can you hand me those herbs I gave to you." Tamsin handed the wooden bowl to the doctor as the last drop of liquid from the syringe emptied into the tube. Lauren took a pinch of the herbs and placed it in with the liquid in the test tube. She put the rubber top back on it and began swirling it around, watching as the herbs dissolved into the blue liquid.

Lauren picked up the syringe again and stuck it through a tiny hole in the rubber top of the tube, removing the liquid and receiving it into the syringe. She pulled it out and placed the tube down on the counter, putting the alcohol swab in her pocket.

"Okay, I should be good. I'm going to go give this to her now. It should kick in pretty quickly and hopefully she get back to normal. I'll be back." Lauren said holding the syringe delicately in her hands. She started to walk back to Bo's room but she stopped and turned around. She had almost forgotten.

"You guys need to get going. I organized all the papers we found from those texts into a folder in the living room to take with you. Well, Tamsin rather, since you won't have posable thumbs. We should be leaving around 7am tomorrow." Lauren said with confidence. Tamsin walked over to the living room near the couch.

"Lauren, I—"

"She's gonna be fine Dyson. I promise. I won't let anything happen to her." Lauren said putting her free hand on the wolf's arm.

"I know. Take care yourself too Doc." Dyson said with a smile.

Tamsin walked back to the kitchen after grabbing the folder Lauren left for her. "Can we get this shit show on the road or what?" Tamsin said crossing her arms. Dyson smiled and the two started walking to the front door.

"Are we there yet?" Dyson said walking out into the the hallway.

Lauren turned and proceeded back to her Bo's room, syringe in hand.

—

Lauren walked back to Bo's bed, and placed the syringe on her nightstand. She was going to have to get Bo to sit up in order to give her the injection so it would get into her bloodstream quicker.

Lauren leaned down and put her hand on Bo's cheek to get her attention. "Bo, I've got your injection, do you think you could sit up for me?" Lauren asked.

Bo squinted her eyes open and began to try to lift her torso up but again she felt dizzy and fell back onto her pillow. Lauren moved and sat down on the bed next to Bo. She placed her arm around Bo's back and gently pushed up so she could slide her body behind hers. Bo let out a groan again but Lauren pressed on, wrapping her arms around Bo's abdomen, pulling her up into a sitting position.

"Lean on me, Bo." Bo leaned back, letting her body rest completely on Lauren's chest.

Lauren held Bo's arm out straight in front of her and pressed her middle and index finger on the flesh of Bo's upper arm, searching for a strong vein. Once she found one, she grabbed the alcohol swab from her pocket, tore open the packet, and began rubbing the swab on Bo's arm.

"Okay, Bo, ready?" Lauren asked grabbing the syringe from the nightstand beside the bed. Bo didn't say anything but she felt her nod up and down again her chest. Lauren pressed the needle into Bo's arm and pressed down on the plunger slowly. Once all the liquid was released, she removed the needle and placed it back down on the nightstand. She gently ran her hand along the spot of the injection down Bo's arm to get the substance to move into her bloodstream faster.

After a few moments, Lauren felt Bo lean forward slightly, although still resting on her chest, and place her hand over Lauren's. "Thank you." Bo whispered. Then turning slowly in Lauren's arms, Bo leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.


	10. Chapter 10

An hour had passed since Lauren had given Bo her injection and it seemed to have done the trick. They were sitting in the living room now, going over the ritual and gathering what belongings they planned to take with them.

Lauren sat on her knees, leaning over the coffee table piling groups of papers together with each other. "When we arrive in Folksvangr we should land in a field—"

"Lauren…" Bo said leaning forward from her seat on the couch.

"which is where Freyja rules over—"

"Lauren." Bo said the doctor's name louder this time, finally breaking Lauren's train of thought.

Lauren looked up at Bo. She didn't realize she had been so focused on preparation to hear what Bo was saying.

"I'm sorry." Lauren got up from her spot on the floor and walked over to the couch to sit next to Bo.

"I'm not leaving until I get her out." Bo said in a small voice. She looked up at Lauren who was already smiling at her which wasn't the response she was expecting.

"I know. I never assumed otherwise." Lauren said putting a comforting hand on Bo's arm. She could already see that Bo was worried not about what it meant for herself, but for her. Even though she shouldn't be.

"Bo, I know you see this as a sacrifice for me but it isn't. It's the choice I want to make of my own free will. I don't care how long we have to stay there so long as you're next to me." Lauren said in a serious tone. She wanted Bo to understand but there was only so many ways she could say it. She looked at Bo's big brown eyes, not knowing what else she could do to ease her worries.

Bo couldn't explain how she was feeling. She was simultaneously terrified that would happen in the next day, whether she would fail Kenzi or not, but at the same time, as she looked at Lauren, she felt full of love for her. She leaned closer to Lauren, looking at her lips, the curves of her jaw, and she was helpless. She pressed her lips slowly against Lauren's, and felt the doctor's hands reach for her face, pulling her closer, deepening their kiss. She felt Lauren nibbling gently on her lower lip as they kissed, something that only she did. Bo found herself smiling at the familiarity as kissed the blond doctor.

Lauren felt Bo's lips break from her own and drag across her jaw and trail down her neck slowly. She felt some what guilty knowing that Bo was experiencing grief although it was hard to form a clear thought with her mouth on her skin. Lauren sat back slowly, moving to meet Bo's eyes with her own. Bo tenderly ran a hand through Lauren's hair and smiled. "Sorry. I really needed to kiss you." Bo said biting her lip, reveling the taste of Lauren's lips.

Lauren let out a small laugh and then nodded. One of the things she loved about Bo was how she was always trying to say physically what she didn't know how to say verbally. Lauren leaned close to Bo again. "I understand." Lauren said softly before capturing her lips in hard kiss. A moment passed before she felt Bo's hands in her hair.

A knock on the door stopped the pair mid kiss but they did not separate from each other. Bo slowly finished the kiss against the doctor's lips before backing away with her eyes still closed. She cleared her throat and then stood up from the couch to walk toward the door.

Bo opened the door to reveal Trick with his arms full of various things: candles, books, weapons, and a few other objects Bo didn't recognize. She grabbed a few of them from her grandfather and moved over allowing him to enter.

"I didn't realize the ritual was so... involved…" Bo said examining a strange object that looked part compass and part dagger. She put it down with the candles she was holding on the kitchen counter.

Lauren walked over to the pair and took some of the supplies from Trick as well. "Did you find everything needed?" Lauren asked. Trick nodded. "Along with a few extras to take with you to Folkvangr that should help to find Kenzi." Trick added.

"Thank you. Sorry about before—" Trick shook his head at Bo. "Don't worry about it. I just hope it doesn't happen while you're down there. Are you two just about ready to do this?"

Lauren and Bo looked at each other for moment. "As ready as we'll ever be." Lauren said with a small smile.

—

Lauren and Bo were standing face to face in Bo's bedroom as Trick placed one of Lauren's forearms forward, palm facing up, and then placed one of Bo's forearms on top of hers. Lauren held her hand onto Bo's elbow and she felt Bo's hand squeeze her bicep in response. Trick retrieved a dark red silk ribbon, about an inch thick and began tying it around their joined arms.

"I honestly have no idea what this ritual will do since it's never been performed between a human and fae. That being said, I think it's best if I go once I finishing reciting the ritual." Trick said as he continued wrapping the ribbon.

"Trick—" But Trick interrupted Bo.

"Bo, I have every faith in you that you'll make it there safely, the both of you. I will come back at 7am to see that you've gone and everything went according to plan. I've left a tool called an itersirca that should help you find Kenzi if you can't for some reason. If one of you prick's your finger on the blade on the end, it will point you in the direction of what you are intent on finding.

"Is that what that weird compass thing is?" Bo asked with confusion.

Trick laughed. "Yes. I'm leaving it next to your hel shoe and texts, which is only a few feet away"

Trick pointed to a spot near the door to Bo's room, where Lauren's medical bag was along with everything else they needed.

"In case the ritual leaves you feeling weak, which hopefully it won't, you should still be able to get to what you need."

Trick finished tying the ribbon tightly around Lauren and Bo's arms. "Do you have the object of intention you need to use?" Trick asked.

Bo reached her free arm into her pocket and pulled out the ring with a ruby stone in it. Bo wrapped her hand around tightly. "Yes." Bo said with a weak smile. Her heart started beating faster at the thought that she might find Kenzi soon. That she could fix this.

"Okay, then the only other thing I need the both of you to do is to close your eyes." Trick said picking up a bottle of red sand. He removed a cork top from the bottle and began pouring it on the floor while walking around Bo and Lauren in a circle. Once he completed the circle around them, he picked up two dried baby's breath flowers from a leather case. He placed one on either side of the pair inside the circle and stepped back.

Trick picked up the ritual book that Lauren had found earlier and opened it to the page titled 'Ritus Unire'. Trick cleared his throat before reciting the first line "To sjeler skille bli hel…"

Lauren could feel something changing just after Trick had read just one line of the ritual. It was like the air in the room was escaping but she was still able to breathe.

"Som enhet skjemaer med grensene for tråd..."

Bo held Lauren's arm tighter as she started to feel like she was falling into a trance.

"Og livet vil eksistere, men en nå..."

The pair of flowers beside the Bo and Lauren's feet began changing, it's white buds blooming with new life. The stems turning bright green with energy.

"Kan paret forene inntil dødsdagen..."

All of the sudden Bo could see Lauren's face in front of her, smiling. She squeezed her eyes shut and realized she had never opened them, but somehow she was still seeing her. She couldn't focus on anything except the blonde in front her. It was like they were off in some other plain of existence.

At the same time Lauren began seeing Bo in her mind as well. It was as though everything else was falling away and her life felt dependent on looking at the woman before her.

"Og reise blant stjernene etter!"

Trick uttered the final words of the ritual and looked to see both Bo and Lauren very still with their eyes still closed. He closed the book and gently put it down on the floor. "Good luck." Trick said before quietly exiting the bedroom.

A few moments later, the red ribbon tied around their arms evaporated slowly into nothingness but the two kept their arms fixed to each other.

At once, Bo and Lauren's eyes shot open and blue chi began flowing from Lauren's mouth to Bo's.

Bo grabbed Lauren's face pulling it closer to hers and kissed her lips before drawing more chi from her. As their mouths pulled apart however, it was Lauren who began draining chi from Bo. Bo relaxed as the chi flowed from her mouth into Lauren's, giving in completely.


	11. Chapter 11

Bo and Lauren were consumed with each other. Although Lauren could feel Bo's chi flowing into her mouth, it was like the fact that it was illogical didn't matter. She still felt like herself but stronger and closer to Bo, although she didn't think that was possible.

They had been holding each other tightly now for sometime, kissing each other while a stream of blue continued to flow between them.

They were still feeling the effects of the ritual. They knew what was happening but they were both being driven by something new.

Lauren held Bo tightly to her as she walked the two of them over to Bo's bed. The back of Bo's legs bumped into it but it went unnoticed as she continued to kiss Lauren over and over again. In one swift motion Bo pulled both herself and Lauren onto the bed.

Bo felt like she couldn't see straight. It was like what she already felt for Lauren, their relationship, was amplified by a million and more, although she didn't think that was possible.

Pieces of clothing began flying off as the two continued to seal this new connection.

—

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Bo squinted her eyes for a moment before opening them.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Bo opened her eyes and was overwhelmed. Her arms were wrapped around Lauren's waist, her body molded to the back of the blond's. Bo tightened her arms around Lauren, feeling the doctor breathing in and out against her chest.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Bo focused for a moment on that noise she kept hearing. And at what point did she and Lauren… She couldn't remember specifically how they ended up here but knew it was from the ritual.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

What the hell is making that annoying noise?

Bo leaned over Lauren's shoulder to see if she was awake and noticed a yellow light glowing from her wrist. She gently raised one of her hands to Lauren's beeping watch and pressed the side button. The display read 5AM.

One hour.

Kenzi.

Her thoughts of the plan returned to Bo as the ritual seemed to have pushed all other thoughts away temporarily.

Bo leaned down and began placing light kisses on Lauren's shoulder in an effort to gently wake her up.

She felt her stirring and before she could look up, Lauren had turned around in Bo's arms.

"Thank god for modern technology, huh?" Bo said with a smile. Lauren smiled back but furrowed her eyebrows with worry.

"Are you okay?" Bo asked softly placing her hand on the doctor's cheek. Bo worried that maybe she'd regret her decision to do the ritual.

"I'm fine, I just…" Lauren paused consumed in thought. "Do you feel different?" She asked focusing her eyes on Bo's.

"A little. I mean I still feel like me, it just feels like what we have is…" Bo paused trying to think of the right word to describe how she felt.

"Stronger." Lauren said finishing Bo's thought.

"Exactly. You know how I can see auras?" Bo asked. Lauren nodded, moving her face a bit closer to Bo's.

"It's like now, yours is mixed with mine… I don't know, it's hard to describe." Bo let out a small laugh.

"No, I get it… I mean I understand." Lauren said with a smile. "I can't really describe it either but it's like you're more part of me than you were before." Lauren said hoping Bo knew how much what she meant to her even before the ritual.

Bo reached her hand up and pushed a stray blonde lock behind Lauren's ear. They had to get ready to leave but Bo often wondered or rather wished sometimes that they had more time to just be. Like this.

But she knew, she couldn't give Lauren what she deserved, every bit of love she could give to her, until she got Kenzi back safely.

Her heart was still gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Bo and Lauren were just about ready. It was two minutes until 6am. Bo had just about every weapon she owned strapped onto her body in one way another. Even Lauren decided to strap one of Bo's dagger's to her thigh.

They had filled Kenzi's leather bag with all the texts they could possibly find useful or rather what Bo felt Lauren would find useful. She had a feeling that once they arrived, she wouldn't be much help in that department. She'd be too focused to think about anything else.

For once, Bo actually felt better about not being alone in this. She knew they were all risking their lives and as much as she didn't want that, she wasn't entirely sure she could do this by herself.

Lauren looked at her watch again. This was the longest two minutes of her life. She looked at Bo who was staring at the ruby ring between her fingers. The object of intention. She didn't know much about the ring itself except for it's owner.

"When did she get that?" Lauren asked Bo, trying to take both her mind and Bo's away from the potential disaster that awaited them.

Bo kept staring at the ring. The stone in it was so beautiful and mesmerizing. She cleared her throat and looked up at Lauren. "Hale. He uh… he gave it to her as an engagement ring." Bo said with a stray tear falling down her cheek.

Lauren was mentally kicking herself. She wouldn't have asked if she knew. She wiped away the stray tear on Bo's cheek with her fingertips.

"I have to get it back to her. Lauren, if anything happens to me—"

"Bo, I won't let anything happen to you. We're leaving together or not at all." Lauren said with small smile.

Bo looked down at the ring again in her hand. She wasn't sure she could say the same back to Lauren. Sure, she wanted all of them to come back home together, but she would still make sure Lauren and Kenzi got back, even if it was without her. She could live with herself if that was the case. She couldn't live with any of them not getting back safely.

"Lauren?" Bo asked still looking at the ring. Lauren moved a step closer and put her hand on Bo's that was holding the ring to let her know she was listening.

"Do you really think I can do this?"

It never failed to both amaze her and find Bo more lovable. For someone who was so powerful and brave, she found it crazy for her not to see that she couldn't fail because she would never stop fighting until she couldn't anymore for what she knows is right.

And yet at the same time, this part of her, the vulnerability she has, was part of why Lauren loved her. The pieces of humanity that she was raised with that she hangs on to even when she doesn't have to. She chooses to.

"Bo, I would always bet on you even if I didn't love you. It's okay to be scared. But just because you're scared doesn't mean you can't do this." Lauren said leaning in closer to place a kiss on Bo's forehead.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Six AM.

Bo looked up at Lauren who nodded back at her, pressing the button on her watch to shut of the alarm. Bo put the ring in her hand and held it tightly. Lauren handed her the hel shoe and put the strap of her black bag on her shoulder.

Lauren locked her arm with Bo's tightly. Bo held the shoe out in front of her. Her face looked worried. She looked at Lauren who gave her nod and a smile. Bo let out a deep breath. She put the hel shoe down on the floor in front of her foot. Slowly, she slid her foot into the golden shoe.

"Take me to her." Bo said squeezing the ring in her hand as tight as she could. And in a blink, they were ripped from Bo's bedroom straight into nothingness.

—

Bo rolled onto the hard ground holding onto all of her weapons to her body as she fell. She looked up and saw Lauren in front of her who must have landed a few moments before her. Bo stood up from the ground and reached a hand out to Lauren, pulling her up.

They both looked around and it appeared they were in a giant field. A field that seemed to have no end. There were all sorts of plant life, mostly wheat, but also several types of flowers. Some exotic, some that were more familiar like sunflowers. Everything seemed to bloom here, regardless of the environment. Lauren was trying to take in all of their surroundings.

Bo sneezed and rubbed her nose. "Guess I should've prepared for Fae histamines." Lauren let out a small laugh. "If that's are only worry, getting Kenzi should be a piece of cake." Lauren knew it wouldn't be but she was trying to stay hopeful.

"I think we're in the right place at least. Folksvangr. Trouble is, with this field stretching so far out… it might be harder to spot Dyson and Tamsin." Lauren said still looking around at all the plant life.

Bo turned around swiftly as she heard… laughter. Women playfully giggling. But Bo didn't see anyone. She stepped a bit closer to Lauren who was still admiring the plants and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you hear that… laughing?" Bo asked still fiercely concentrated on finding the source of the laughter. Lauren tried to focus her hearing closely and after a moment she too heard the giggling. "Now I do. Sound like it's coming from there." Lauren pointed straight ahead of them.

Bo took a small battle axe from the strap over her shoulder and took Lauren hand. "Let's go."

They walked forward for a few minutes, treading lightly in case of a possible threat. The laughter was growing louder now but they still saw no one.

"Why do I get the feeling like this is a trap?" Bo said gripping her axe a bit tighter. Lauren took a few more steps in front of Bo and she saw them.

"Bo, come here." Lauren said reaching her hand back towards Bo. As Bo stepped forward, several women faded into her vision. They were running playfully with each other in the field laughing. There were dozens, all wearing flowing dresses but each of them was happy. So much so that it was a bit sickening. "We gotta get Kenz out of here." Bo said shaking her head at the sight before her.

The women paid no attention to them as Bo and Lauren stepped forward. After trying to get their attention to no avail, Bo sat down in the field, pulling out some of the texts in her bag. Lauren stood still trying to see any signs of Dyson or Tamsin.

"We need to find a way to Freyja if we're gonna find Kenzi, but I don't see her hanging around here—" Bo stopped talking as she felt something behind her, besides the creepy women laughing. She gripped her axe, ready to turn around and strike when she felt something wet on her ear. Like something was licking her.

She turned around to see a grey wolf licking her face. She reached down and gave the wolf a gentle hug. Tamsin stood next to Dyson and waved. She had a fresh cut over her eye that looked pretty deep. Lauren took her bag of her shoulder to get some gauze and antiseptic for the cut but Tamsin pushed the stuff away.

"It's okay doc. Save that stuff for later. We're gonna need it."


	13. Chapter 13

Bo looked at Tamsin with concern. This was Tamsin's home, what she is familiar with, and she's already been wounded? Bo took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"What happened to you guys?" Bo asked hoping for a better answer than she expected.

Tamsin let out a big breath, sticking her sword in the dirt and leaning on it. "Well, we got to Valhalla and the nymph I asked for a way to get here must have tipped off these… I guess guardians of Folksvangr. By the time wolfie and I made it to the place to pass through to here, we were ambushed by some warriors and it got nasty." Tamsin said pointing nonchalantly to her cut.

"Do you think they'll still be after you in this realm for coming here?" Lauren asked.

Tamsin shrugged. "It's not so much that I came here through Valhalla but that Valkyries are forbidden from Folksvangr. Either way, it's worth it." Tamsin said looking down thinking of the human she hoped to soon find here.

Bo walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, just for moment. "Well I'm glad you guys made it here okay." Bo said with a nod.

"Tamsin, do you know where Freyja would be?" Lauren asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"My guess is that she probably has some sort of temple. Folksvangr kind of mirrors Valhalla in a way so she most likely has a place dedicated to just her." Tamsin said.

"Okay so we just have to find it. But this field is so far spread out, it's like there isn't anywhere else to go." Bo said with frustration.

Tamsin grinned a little. "Actually that's not true. That's what she wants you think." Tamsin picked up her sword from the ground and patted Dyson on the head, signaling him to follow her as she ran forward in the field. The edge of which seemed miles away.

Bo tilted her head, not really understanding what Tamsin meant. I mean if they had to walk, run or crawl for miles to Kenzi back, she would do it, but she didn't understand what Tamsin was talking about.

Bo grabbed Lauren's hand and intertwined her fingers with hers, pulling her along side her as she began to run after Tamsin.

—

Bo and Lauren were a bit behind Tamsin as they ran but as they looked up after a few minutes, they didn't see her or Dyson at all.

"Where are they?" Bo asked out loud. Lauren tugged on Bo's hand, pulling her forward.

"Let's keep going, we'll find them." Lauren said continuing to run through the field.

Just moments after they decided to keep moving, their surroundings changed all together. The field vanished and was replaced by a huge garden and what appeared to be a giant palace.

Bo swallowed as she adjusted to the new landscape. "Oh." What Tamsin was saying clicked now. She felt something nudging her ankle and she looked down to see the grey wolf nudging his head on her. Bo looked up to see Tamsin a few yards away, waving her to follow her. Dyson waited for Bo and Lauren to follow Tamsin before moving forward after them.

When they caught up to her, Tamsin motioned to them to hide behind several bushes next to her. Tamsin nodded toward the golden palace. "I'd guess that is where Freyja is. But I'm not sure what powers she possesses. I mean she is the ruler of the this realm so I wouldn't underestimate her Bo." Bo noticed the comment was probably directed toward her because her tendency to go head first into a fight but this might be a bit trickier. And if she wanted Kenzi alive, she might have to play things a little bit differently.

"I think if we go in there fighting, it could blow up in our faces." Tamsin added, looking at Bo and Lauren for their input.

"She's right. We're better off going in under the pretense of just negotiating and if it comes to blows after that… then so be it. But we have a better chance at least finding Kenzi if we stay civil for the time being." Lauren said with sincerity. She looked at Bo hoping that what she said really got across to her because she knew it would be hard to keep her patience once they went in there.

"So basically no fighting until we have Kenzi with us or unless we have to?" Bo said half jokingly. She only got back concerned stares from both Lauren and Tamsin.

"Okay, okay. I get it. We have to be careful." Bo said with a reassuring look. Tamsin nodded.

"Let's go then." Bo said slowly getting up walking toward the glowing entrance to the palace. Lauren shot Tamsin a worried look before following Bo. Dyson licked the back of Lauren's hand, almost trying to reassure her in a strange way. Lauren laughed a bit and pet the wolf's head.

—

There was no door to the entrance of the palace. Just a huge opening. It almost reminded Bo of palace in ancient Egypt. She still hoped to go there with Lauren one day when they were ready. As they walked into the entrance, they were swallowed into the golden world.

Bo looked briefly at Lauren who was taking in all of the extravagance around them, her brain working over time with curiosity. Bo briefly ran her hand down Lauren's arm, thinking about the potential future.

They reached a set of marble stairs that lead to a room the size of a cathedral. Ornate paintings and sculptures surround them as well as women who appeared to just be… there. They weren't like the women in the field, but these women were just contently existing around the palace. Some reading, some writing, some talking, some eating, some were even soundly sleeping. None of them seemed to notice Bo or the rest of the group as they walked further.

"See something you like?" A silky voiced asked from behind all of them. They turned in unison to see a tall woman, with such an extravagant wardrobe and crown that they had no doubt this was Freyja.

Bo could feel her instincts immediately kick in as she looked at the woman before them. Bo stepped forward in front of the group, affirming her role unintentionally as the leader.

"Not yet, but we were hoping you could help with that." Bo said as politely as she could.

Freyja was very still as she looked over each of them curiously before focusing her eyes on Bo, with a soft smile.

The stillness was becoming almost eery as Lauren shifted her feet, waiting for something to happen.

"Come with me." Freyja said before turning to her left and walking to what appeared to be another wing of the palace.

Bo moved quickly behind her, not letting her guard down. Her heart beat fast at the prospect of soon seeing the person she was looking for.

The room they entered was smaller and darker than the first. In the center was a fountain made of marble. Candles shined in the corners of the room as Freyja sat down on a small thrown.

"What do you seek from me?" Freyja said with an amused smile.

Tamsin stepped forward a bit. "There is a soul you claimed… a human. We wish to take her back to our realm." Tamsin said with intensity. She could feel the tension just bubbling under the surface if Freyja did not comply.

"I see. And why do you desire to take this human from here?" Freyja asked simply.

"She sacrificed herself for me. But her place is our world, with us." Bo said with conviction. She had no idea what Freyja's game was.

Freyja looked intently at the succubus' eyes. She then waved her hand in the air in a swirling motion. They all heard something move toward the room from the left. Bo took a small step to see who it was and her heart nearly stopped.

She stumbled out from the shadows, rubbing her head in circles, squinting her eyes. But it was her. It was Kenzi. She was still dressed just as she died at the sin vat.

Bo almost started to cry as she moved forward a bit towards her. "Kenzi!" She said catching the younger woman's attention.

Kenzi paused for a minute looking at the woman in front of her. "Bo?" She covered her mouth as she let out a sob.

"Now, I like to think of myself as a benevolent being…" Freyja said standing from her thrown and walking in between the space between Bo and Kenzi. That was all it took for Bo's eyes to start to turn blue.

Lauren, Tamsin and Dyson all moved in closer to Bo.

"You say this woman sacrificed herself for you. What will you sacrifice for her?" Freyja said with a silver grin.

"Stop." Kenzi said closing her eyes and grimacing as the dull pain in her head was growing. Bo tried to walk over to her again but Freyja twisted her hand again, making Bo unable to move forward.

Bo's anger grew strong and her patience was just about through. Her eyes turned completely blue. She was starting to lose control.

Lauren felt the change growing within her too. She could feel the anger and frustration taking over Bo the more and more Freyja stood in her way.

"Let her go." Bo said with a dark stare. But Freyja remain still and calm.

"Answer the question succubus!" Freyja said with glee.

Bo was trying really hard to suppress the urge she was fighting to let her own powers take hold of her. She tried to breath and think.

"Anything… everything." Bo answered softly as she looked over at Kenzi who stared back at her with tears.

The urge within her to consume whatever was standing in her way was winning as Bo began to sway and seemingly was breaking free of Freyja's hold on her. Bo's eyes burned blue and her skin began to glow with a reddish color as she moved closer to Freyja.

Dyson let out a loud growl and moved protectively next to Bo.

"Nice shifter you got there." Freyja said with a grin and with a flick of her hand sent Dyson flying into a stone pillar across the room. Tamsin ran over to him, picking up the wolf's head from the floor to see if he was breathing.

Lauren didn't know what to do but she had to act fast. She could see Freyja was more interested in Bo then Kenzi this point, which while it scared her, she at least knew Bo could hold her own. She could actually feel it.

"Kenzi, walk to me." Lauren said in a calm voice. She was a bit a farther from her than she was to Bo. Kenzi looked up at Lauren with a confused look.

Freyja moved closer to Bo who was still stuck but swaying from side to side. Freyja grabbed Bo's throat, squeezing it tightly, moving closer.

"Stop!" Kenzi moved closer to Bo to try to intervene but she stumbled as she moved forward.

Lauren felt her heart racing.

I have to keep her safe. She needs me to keep her safe.

"Kenzi!" Lauren said trying to get her attention away from Bo, to come to her.

Bo fought the darkness inside for one more moment."It's okay, Kenz. Go to Lauren, please." Bo said trying to get Kenzi to do what she said.

Kenzi looked at Bo for a moment and just like that the darkness took over Bo completely.

Bo pushed Freyja off of her and Kenzi ran to Lauren's side, collapsing as she got there. Lauren stood her up putting Kenzi's arm around her shoulder.


End file.
